Euro 2012 - and then there were 4

With the first semi final of Euro 2012 on tonight it seems logical to write a post on the tournament so far and make a little prediction as to who may win it.  To be honest after the first couple of matches I was a little disappointed as there wasn't much excitement in the matches.  Don't get me wrong the football was still of high quality with Russia looking hugely impressive in their first game but I think most teams were too afraid of losing which didn't help.

However as the tournament has gone on the excitement levels have risen with shocks, quality football, great goals, some dubious calls and intense finishes coming to the fore.  Pre tournament favorites Spain and Germany have not disappointed and are potentially poised to meet in consecutive Euro finals.  Italy and Portugal stand in their way which may have come as a shock to some pundits but on their form it is the four best teams left in the competition.

Some nations were massively disappointing.  Holland were their usual imploding selves which shouldn't be a huge surprise as have becomes used to their egotistic behavior over the years.  However few would have bet against them getting a single point in their group never mind securing qualification.  Russia were seen as the dark horses by many and after a terrific start their challenge just fell away.

Back at home not much was expected from the Republic of Ireland in a very difficult group and this was to be the case as they acquired no points.  Despite low expectations it was the lack of spirit and fight from the Irish team that disappointed the most as this is not what Irish fans (who were the best in the tournament it has to be said) are used to seeing.  England on the other hand went into the competition with low expectations from the nations viewpoint which is very unusual.  However after topping the group the expectation levels rose and again England faltered on penalties although in honesty they were completely outclassed in that game and didn't deserve to go through.

UEFA again confused every one as to how the group standings were decided but it did make the final matches more interesting with the end to the Group D being devastating for Croatia and also Greece qualifying for the quarter finals by beating the Russians.  This was one of the shocks so far along with Denmark beating Holland and Sweden beating France.  Then there was the goal that wasn't for Ukraine which Blatter responded to by saying it is time for goal line technology - at long last Sepp!  

There have been some great goals so far but for me Zlatan's goal against France has to be the best:

Hopefully in the last 3 games we may get something to top this from the likes of Ronaldo. Iniesta, Ozil or Pirlo.  I have mentioned these four as I believe they have put their names into the ring, along with others, for player of the tournament.  Personally I think whoever wins the tournament will decide which four of these players gets it.

Now onto the four teams remaining.  Everyone is expecting a Spain vs Germany final but the way this tournament has went I have a feeling there will be a shock somewhere along the line.  I don't imagine both these teams not being in the final but I do think it will only involve one of them.  Germany have a bad record against Italy and the way the Italians are playing I wouldn't be surprised if that continued and with Portugal's pace on the counter attack they are sure to cause "strikerless" Spain some problems.  Spain and Germany have been the best two teams by far but the best teams don't always win!

To finish I have to say that Euro 2012 has been a great competition and despite what happens in the last 3 games it will go down as one of the better ones.  Possession football is now the norm due to teams like Barcelona and Spain and it has to be said Spain are the kingpins at it even without a striker.  How people can argue with their formation and that is beyond me as they still look like the team to beat and let's be honest with the quality they have they really don't need an out and out striker.  A lot of people think it will be the Germans to stop them but you heard it here first, it will not be a Spain vs Germany final (despite that being what the football world and I want!).  My money is on Italy to win it outright.    

Recovery using Ice Baths (Cold Water Immersion)

In the sporting world there are many methods that can be used to help athletes recover faster post exercise.  These can range from passive or active recovery through to electronic devices that massage parts of the body. 

 

One method which has been made popular in the UK by the likes of Paula Radcliffe and Andy Murray (who swear by it) is ice bathing, scientifically known as Cold Water Immersion (CWI).  The picture below shows Mo Farah using this method:

  

 

When you get an injury the first protocol is applying an ice pack on the injured area.  Well an ice bath works on the same principles only for general recovery and not just in the case of an injury. 

 

In simple terms an ice bath induces a flush like action that helps the muscles, tendons, bones, nerves and all the different tissues used in sport recover from their workout in the following way:

 

• “Ice bath” narrows blood vessels and thus decreases blood flow
•  This reduces swelling and tissue breakdown thus relieving pain
•  Once out of the ice bath the underlying tissues warm up
•  This causes a surge of oxygen filled blood to flow back to the muscles
•  This helps return by products of cellular breakdown to the lymph system for efficient recycling by the body
•  Main by product is lactic acid which can cause cramp, fatigue and a general feeling of tiredness in the muscles (delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS))

With ice bathing temperatures and durations are always discussed.  There is no conclusive research as to optimal temperatures or durations but many believe for contact sports the temperature needs to be lower.  Research suggests that ice baths need to be used straight after exercise however Andy Murray uses them daily even when not training but he has a hectic schedule to contend with.  Temperature, duration and times will depend on the physicality of ones sport or training and also personal preferences. 

 

Some people see it as a torturous method for recovery and even huge fans such as Paula Radcliffe admit they hate the thought of taking them.  However the old cliche of no pain no gain is very much true in the instance.  Ice baths are beneficial to athletes due to the hydrostatic pressure and cold temperature of the water. 

 

Technology has allowed ice bathing to progress significantly.  Instead of barbaric means, such as putting ice ice in a wheelie bin like below, athletes and coaches can now use more scientific and hygienic methods that actually require no ice at all (such as our F3 HydroPool products (http://www.f3hydropool.com/)). These products chill the water to a temperature that is controllable by the user.

 

Being able to control the temperature is a massive benefit as with traditional methods this was not possible as the ice would lay at the top of the water meaning the temperature was colder at the top than the bottom.  Another problem was that the heat of bodies especially with teams cause the ice to melt and heats up the temperature meaning there is a constant need for the re-filling of ice.  Therefore it was impossible to ensure that the athlete's whole body or specific area was recovering with the same temperatures.  This may be one of the reasons that some studies have reported no benefits as they did not test accurately enough. 

 

As these new products eliminate all the problems with traditional methods any future tests into ice baths should be carried out using them to find conclusive evidence.  Overall ice baths as a recovery procedure following exercise is better than performing no recovery procedure.  Ice baths should be implemented immediately post exercise to ensure maximum recovery benefits irrespective of the time of administration.